Everything delicious about living in Jerusalem, where Heaven and Earth come together and everyone wants a piece of the action!

THANK YOU FOR DONATING!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot...LITERALLY

The thing about ancient things is that they're supposed to stay dependably the same. That's why classics are the classics, icons are iconic, etc. That's...the rule.

In the "rules are made to be broken" (hearts too) category, I nominate the horrendously hideous Mamillia Project, a "mixed-use retail concept" (a phrase which would have rolled off my tongue with ease six months ago, and now only makes me nauseous).

The Mamillia Project is an underground PARKING LOT covered by ubiquitous retail stores configured in an outdoor "mall"-like setting. There are a few high-end clothing boutiques, an overpriced jeweler only the most naieve of tourists would patronize, a couple of cafes, and basically...nothing.

The worst part of it is the location: directly obstructing the view to Jaffa Gate and the Old City from the west! The view of the Old City is classic, and Mamilla's "Mall" is an offense, a blasphemous interruption in the landscape...and just plain WRONG.